In Photos: First Minister officially opens Co Tyrone school's £600k Specialist Setting

Around 90% of St Patrick’s PS’s 900 pupils are newcomer children who have come from places such as Portugal, East Timor, Lithuania, Poland and Guinea Bissau. The children welcomed the First Minister in ten different languages and proudly bore the flag of their home nation.

Minister O’Neill said: “It was a real privilege to visit St Patrick’s Primary School and officially open their new special educational needs classrooms. These first class facilities will help to make sure that every child at St Patrick’s is a valued and equal member of the school community and enable them to participate fully and enjoy school life to the full. It's heartening to see all the hard work put in by staff, making sure every child is happy and also providing that vital support for families within the community.”

The visit included a performance of traditional Irish music and an East Timorese celebration dance. Supported by Malachi Cush, the choir sang ‘The Hills of Tyrone’.

School principal Seamus McCreesh said: "We were privileged to welcome the First Minister to celebrate this significant milestone in the school’s journey with the opening of our new Specialist Setting, designed to provide enhanced educational support for pupils with additional needs. “The school has a long tradition of supporting children who experience barriers to learning and this new provision further enhances the school’s capacity for supporting our whole school community.”

The opening of Specialist Setting coincides with receipt of the School of Sanctuary Award for its ethos of inclusion, following assessment by Belfast City of Sanctuary external judges. Eve Bremner, chief executive, Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, commented:" CCMS wishes the whole school community, especially the pupils who will directly benefit from the new Specialist Setting, every success for the future."